The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (June 1 - June 15, 2021)
Tuesday June 1, 2021:
Had a nice email chat with a fellow who is fitting a late model MGB engine into his MGA, and intends to install the matching fuel vapor recovery parts along with it (including carbon canister under the bonnet, expansion canister in the boot, and sealed fuel cap). First time I have heard of anyone upgrading emissions control parts on an MGA, but it seems like a noble cause. His real motive is to try to eliminate the fuel smell when the MGA is parked in his garage. Now I suppose he will also install the PCV system along with it to eliminate some oil drips.
Wednesday June 2, 2021:
Uploaded a new tech page for Faulty Replacement Parts for the 4-inch air hoses for MGA heater air inlet and carburetor vent pipe. For a few years now some of the parts supplied have been 100-mm diameter rather than the original 4-inch diameter, making then 1/16" undersized and difficult to install.
 Updated a tech page on Generator Pulleys and fans to show size of the Twin Cam crankshaft pulley. The T.C. generator drive was changed from 1:1 drive ratio to 1.2:1 to allow the generator to run faster for better charging.
Time for our second visit to the "Wednesday Night Garage Club". in Lagrange Highlands, IL (two weeks since our last visit). Mostly working on the MGB in rear left, on hoist in first picture, then lowered on 2nd picture. This one recently lost its V6 engine (destined for another car) and gained an original style 4-cylinder (not original to this car), now belonging to Paul Pickley. The new speedometer cable form Moss had the output end screw sleeve too small, so no go, but it could run and drive without that instrument.
It was getting an oil change (no clue how long since the the last one), and we all though this was the night it would be running. The old drain plug gasket was shot so trying to install a new one, but the new one from Moss Motors was too large on the ID, so it slipped over the thread and nested off center in the relief neck, no go. A short hike to local O'Reilly Auto Parts brought back a spark plug that had a suitable captive washer, so the oil change was finished, and we had oil pressure.
But then the best we could do was to get it to run on one cylinder, barely (just #2). Resistance testing spark plugs and wires, we found on wire open circuit, no-connect at one end terminal, so we installed new wires, but still no-go. Pulled the valve cover to check valve clearance and valve motion, thinking a valve might be not closing, possibly sticking open, but no problem there. Did a compression test, to be sure it didn't have a broken piston ring or leaky valves, but all cylinders were within 10% and all 135-psi or better, so that was not the problem. Carburetors were recently rebuilt, and even if one carb was not flowing fuel, it would still run on two cylinders, so skip that for now. Thinking maybe timing might be way off, we wanted to used a test light to set static timing around 12d BTDC, but we couldn't get the test light to go out (open circuit through the distributor). Oops. Looks like the new electronic distributor (with no vacuum advance) was kaputz. That kind of put this project to bed for the night.
Half through the evening, about the time we ordered pizza, Thomas Pokrefke showed up with another MGB sporting a fresh 3.4-L V6 electronic fuel injected engine (with air conditioning). That was jolly good fun. Not quite finished, the ECU in the engine bay would eventually go in the right side wing, and maybe the three ignition coils could find better location, but for now it ran okay, so smiles all around. I really have an urge to put one of these in my MGA, but with a carburetor to avoid all the electronic stuff. Okay, time to call it a night, and dream on.
You can find Tom's complete write up on this conversion at http://www.pokrefke.net/1970MGB/Index.html
Hint: it may be a lot more work than it looks.
Thursday June 3, 2021:
Catching up email and BBS, followed by posting photos and notes from last night's tech session.
Evening Zoom meeting with CMGC web site committee. Some of the committee members are finally getting frustrated with the non-compatibility and limited services of the Wild Apricot web site, now coming around to looking into the apps and services available on current Bluehost server. Check back again in a week to see what they "discover".
The June edition of CMGC newsletter "Driveline" came out today, so I got a start on posting that on the club web site (which should suck up most of tomorrow to get it finished).,
Friday June 4, 2021:
Yup, most of the day spent uploading the CMGC newsletter to the club web site, but at least it's done. See that link to Tom's V6 conversion web page tunder the pictures above? Well, I have posted the same link in the MGB Tech Tips section of the CMGC club web site (because it is MGB, not MGA). Maybe some MGB folks will get some benefit there.
And we have decided we will be running in a road rally north of Chicago on Sunday, and blowing out of town heading east the same night. We are destined to be in York, PA by Tuesday evening for their garage tinkering session (and may be time to change oil in the MGA about then). The following week we will be in Atlantic City, NJ for MG International 2021 all-MG convention. And the following Tuesday (6/22) we should be back in York, PA for a British car show. After that, we dunno yet.
Saturday June 5, 2021:
Running out of time here in the Chicago area, so took this last available day off to visit my older daughter in Sandwich, IL. Nice way to kill a day.
Sunday June 6, 2021:
Primary chore today was to participate in a gimmick rally called Lake County Fun Run with Chicagoland MG Club. Starting in Libertyville in the NW suburbs. Near as I can count from the pictures, 15 cars to start.
Neat dash plaques. If you put enough of these together you can have a series of octagons, but so far we have two bottoms. We just take the picture and give it back, because it's too big, and we have no space to carry hundreds of these things in the travel rig. Time to get everyone together for the drivers meeting before we head out, and one late arrival after the meeting (not sure how he made out).
Wandering around for a few hours farther NE to Zion, IL (just touching the Wisconsin border), and ending with a picnic at Adeline Geokaris Illinois Beach State Park on the lake front. Some people never learn how to compose a rally. The primary objective of the participants is not to get killed, while the primary objective of the rallymaster seemed to be to kill everyone. We survived and did fairly well with the list of questions and answers. Probably have to wait for the next club meeting to hear the official results.
We finished close to last in time, got to park at the far end of the parking lot with a few other MGs and walk a quarter mile back. Really popular beach park I guess, absolutely crammed with cars and people, might have been a good day for a quick dip in Lake Michigan (if you like cold water).
We didn't pack a picnic lunch, but it was just as well. Shortly after handing in the answer sheet the party was breaking up, and we were ready to head out anyway. Seemed a shame to miss most of the important social part. Stopped in Lake Bluff for a late lunch and cool down, but heading out again early evening..
Started the day in Wheaton IL, drove 40 miles to Libertyville to start the rally, did about 70 miles in the rally getting within a mile of the Wisconsin state line, passing through Zion, IL, on the way to the beach to end the rally. Then we went south right through downtown Chicago, traversing through Indiana mostly on US-30, ending the night just inside of Ohio, about 360 miles for the day (250 miles of it after 5-pm).
Monday June 7, 2021:
We skipped breakfast today, because a few of our preferred WiFi spots in Ohio only had open dining from 11-am to 2-pm, go figure. At 11-am we stopped in Mansfield, OH for lunch and WiFi (this one open 7am to 7pm), 125 miles on and already half way across Ohio. No rush now, as York, PA is only a bit over 400 miles, and we will most likely do more than half of that later tonight. Hey, we have 8 hours off. -- Okay, got as far as Brookville, PA before midnight., a meager 325 miles for the day. If some of this routing looks a little strange, that's because we avoid toll roads with the trailer.
Tuesday June 8, 2021:
A 70 mile dash east on I-80 to breakfast in Milesburg/Hublersburg, PA (depending on whose map you might believe). For historical record, this is the first restaurant in 15 months where masks are not required, and even the kitchen staff is not wearing masks. Three cheers for central Pennsylvania. From here just 120 miles south through the mountains to York, ran that from 3:40-5:50pm, jolly good fin running through the hills.
Garage tech tonight at Darrel's Garage in York, PA (the Tuesday night tinkering in the alley guys).
Apparently our MGA got to be the guest of honor. Oil and filter change, lube job, valve adjustment and compression test. I thought that last one would be a problem, as it has been sluggish starting mornings and a slightly rough idle. Sure enough, 90-110-60-90 PSI. So schedule a time sometime, somewhere, to R&R the head to touch up the valve seats again. From new head to first valve touch up was 1-yr 8-mo 64,000 miles. This time 3-yr 6-mo 84,390-mi, so not such a surprise. We do run this thing pretty hard with all the trailer towing.
Wednesday June 9, 2021:
Catching up photos and notes from yesterday. Also had a lot of email discussion about a no-start non-cranking MGA, and how to diagnose and fix it. Must have been a bit overwhelming to the owner, as the car was subsequently towed off to a pro shop for repair.
Some time spent on planning and mapping and correspondence with car clubs. Now have plans booked up for the next two weeks. Feeling good to be active again as the Covid thing is gradually winding down.
Thursday June 10, 2021:
Zoom meeting tonight for the CMGC web site committee. I have given the new guy (Paul Pickley) keys to the city (username and password) for full access to the club web site server. This was accompanied by a long list of admonitions on what not to do in order to not screw it up, and a recommendation to limit his playground to one new sub-directory and not touch any of the existing stuff until he gets the hang of how it all works. His initial
intention is to (1.) get the hang of managing web pages and files and folders, (2.) create an on-line database for club roster with facilities for on-line membership registration and renewals and on-line payments, and (3.) add the new functions to the web site without changing or deleting anything else. For sure that will keep him busy for a while.
Say hello to Paul Pickley, CMGC Librarian and new Co-webmaster in training. He has all good intentions for "bringing the CMGC web site into the 21st century" by adding some features that have been strictly forbidden by management for the past 20 years. Now we get two weeks off, no committee meeting scheduled next week, as Paul will be on vacation and a few of us will be in Atlantic City, NJ for MG International 2021 all-MG convention.
Friday June 11, 2021:
I took this as a good chuckle to start the day. Don't ask why. Just someone's idea of a personal touch.
Some email chat with a friend doing MGA body sill replacement. So far nothing new that would merit any web site update.
We are about to crucify Moss Motors in public (again) for their negligence in continuing to sell known faulty parts. It has been nine months since reporting to them non-functional tappets and pushrods (two different faulty parts) with multiple follow-up inquires and non-fulfilled promises while they refuse to stop sales of the known junk parts. Stay tuned.
Saturday June 12, 2021:
Up early to hook up with the LANCO (Lancaster County) MG Club in (you guessed it) Lancaster, PA at 8-am.
We had two Jaguar, I think both F-type, two MG, our MGA and a TD (with Volvo B20 engine, 5-speed and MGB 3.9 rear end), one Lotus and one modern Mini. We were soon off on a run of 42 miles to “Show of Wheels” car show in Fleetwood, PA (and that TD can scoot). The city of Fleetwood should be known for the Fleetwood Metal Body (coach builders) who were constructing bodies for some very expensive and exclusive cars from 1909. purchased by Fisher Body in 1925, an OEM provider of bodies for Detroit Assembly. Integrated into General Motors in Delray, Michigan in 1931, plant closed in 1987, transferred to the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly factory, and more follow-up history. Aside from "Body By Fisher", the name was maybe best know for being used on the Cadillac Fleetwood and Fleetwood Brougham sedans.
Here are a few more pictures of that TD at the car show, jolly good fun, and it was attracting lot of attention.
The cars we came with were right near where I parked. The two directly in front of our MGA. the MG TF and MGB, belong to the folks who would host out little club picnic later in the day. They came from near by and arrived before us, reserving a few spaces.
There were a few more vintage British cars present (not looking for the modern ones). The TR4 was nice, and the Metropolitan (being a variant of MGA using the same Austin B-series engine). Someone also spotted a TR3 in the crowd.
This little sport caught my eye, as we always find something never before seen at any random car show. It is a 1965 Matra Djet 5S, a cute little French car, belonging to Jim Hanna in Chester Springs, PA. It's claim to fame is being the world's first mid-rear engine production car. Engines were in the 1000cc to 1100+cc range with top speeds up to 120-125 mph due to light weight (around 1400 pounds) and good aerodynamics.
This one was a Replica Tribute 1967 Ferrari 312 F1 (so the sign said). Otherwise I know nothing else about it.
The tribute Ghostbusters car was cute, except it was Ford instead of Cadillac. The rest was a generic car show, mostly big American iron from vintage to modern including a lot of muscle cars and rat rods. Give them credit for more the 400 cars present, a new record for this show.
I'm guessing some car shows this year will be larger than normal, after everything was shut down last year, and people can now get out again. If you see something you like, whistle and wave.
We didn't wait around for the 3 o'clock and later trophy announcements, most likely nothing for us anyway. The LANCO MG Club folks headed out about 2-pm to land in rural Kutztown, PA for the club picnic.
Time to scavenge steering arms off of a parts car. Nice ball joint puller, just hammer it in like a pickle fork, and wrench on the lever arm until it pops loose.
Attack the other side with vigor, and in short order we got the booty. Return the big double sided ball-pein hammer to the receptacle in the trailer hitch.
In the evening a short run to find another WiFi spot in Sinking Springs, PA to catch up with photos and notes, followed by a late night run back to Lancaster staging for tomorrow's activities.
Sunday June 13, 2021:
Early morning BBS and email check, followed by late morning visit with H Landon Hunter in Millersville, PA. His MGA is, well, call it a long time family member undergoing long term restoration (not to mention how many years). The rolling chassis is finished (sans engine), and the main body shell is all restored and in primer.
Still needing some work on wings and doors, but getting far enough along to begin seeing light at the end of the tunnel. One of my prime functions here is to crank up the enthusiasm to keep these things moving toward the end goal. We had time for a few hours chat before we had to high-tail it out for our next appointment.
We had a 3-pm dinner meeting at Centerville Diner in Lancaster with the LANCO (Lancaster County) MG Club, same group from the day before. After a short formal business meeting and light lunch we had time for a little discussion on state of the art in car clubs, getting older, and how to keep a younger generation interested in the club activities (not just the cars). This club is currently growing, but maybe not attracting a diverse enough clientele, still driving, but not working on the cars as much as they used to. After dinner, back to WiFi to work on photos and notes from the past two days.
Monday June 14, 2021:
After breakfast and morning email and BBS review, we headed east out of Pennsylvania and across New Jersey, landing at Harrah's Resort (and Casino) in Atlantic City for MG International 2021. We were preregistered for
the event, and had the hotel reservations in advance, so not long to check in and head down to the conference center to pick up our event information packet (and a T-shirt). Had some time to chum around with some vendors and chat with a few old friends. I skipped the First-Timers Reception that I sometimes attend at NAMGAR events (for the benefit of the new MGA owners). I was a first-timer at MG International in 2016, and this one is for all MGs (not just MGA). But I did get to the Welcome Reception 7 to 9 pm at the indoor pool with what must have been a few hundred MG enthusiasts. I tried mixing about, but got trapped a few times and only got to half a dozen or so. Late night WiFi session with lots of email, and 2-am gotta get some sleep.
Tuesday June 15, 2021:
Breakfast with the gang 7-9 am, had to drag myself out and stagger down there around 8 or miss the food. Four tech sessions scheduled for 9-am, pick one. John Twist rolling tech session, ongoing, catch a bit from time to time. Pete Mantrell MG V8 Conversions (done that one before). Kelvin Dodd on MGB electrics (done that one too). So I opted for Rob Medynski on MG Distributors. Lots of (almost boring) technical detains, but get to play with a few parts, some of which he has custom made.
Two more tech sessions at 11-am. Pete Mantell on Fiberglass Body Kit (skip that one). Go for Lew Palmer and Tom Metcalf on MG Airline Coupe. That was a good choice.
Out the door and down the hall, a very special MG TD that would be the "guest of honor" for a tribute tomorrow evening. Had a good breakfast, so skipped lunch to have a little time With J.T.'s rolling tech session. The first MGB is typical. The second one was a rare factory MGB GT V8. There is always a long line waiting for John's hands and blessing.
Nice MGA 1600-MK-II "Deluxe".
A well traveled trailer, and an MGB with lots of bling under the bonnet.
Skipped the early afternoon tech session on Modern Wiring to attend the session with Jim Miller from Modern Touring on 3D printing of vintage car parts. Useful stuff, and looks like a good business model.
Had a short break, so took the opportunity to browse through the vendors wares. Came very close to buying the
Classic Gold wood rim steering wheel. The pocket pen across the center hub was a comparator tool to measure the mounting hub to see if it would be compatible with the Moto-Lita hub currently on my car.
I was planning on skipping Camshafts by Len Fanelli, to attend Passion And The Market presented by Jonathan Stein and Dave Kinney. I'm sure it must have been good, but I got carried away chatting with a new friend and missed it.
In the evening we took the Jitney bus to The Boardwalk for the All-Register Meet And Greet, followed by the Register Dinners (NAMGAR for me, please). That all went over well, followed by another Jitney back to Harrah's for a couple hours of email before crash time.
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